homemade Italian Cream Cake
🛒 Ingredients
For the Italian Cream Cake Layers:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 🧈
- ½ cup vegetable shortening (or additional unsalted butter) 🧈
- 2 cups granulated sugar 🧁
- 5 large eggs, separated (whites and yolks divided) 🥚
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 🪵
- 1 tsp pure almond extract 🌰
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 🌾
- 1 tsp baking soda 🪵
- ½ tsp salt 🧂
- 1 cup real buttermilk (room temperature) 🥛
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut 🥥
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans (toasted) 🌰
For the Cream Cheese Frosting & Decoration:
- 8 oz (1 block) cream cheese, softened 🧀
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 🧈
- 4 cups powdered sugar (sifted) 🧁
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 🪵
- 1 to 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk (if needed) 🥛
- ½ cup toasted shredded coconut & whole pecan halves (for topping) 🥥🌰
